ASIA/PHILIPPINES – In one year the network of Catholic nuns saved 26 thousand women from human trafficking in Asia

ASIA/PHILIPPINES- 26000 women were saved by the network Catholic nuns in Asia from human trafficking in Asia.

Manila (Agenzia Fides). In 2021, as many as 26.065 women in Asia were stopped and saved from human trafficking. This was done by “Talitha Kum”, which is a Federation of Catholic nuns committed to fighting and eliminating human slavery.
“Prevention was the Asian network’s priority. It was promoted through training and awareness-raising campaign in schools, parishes and local communities, focusing especially on women, youths religious, tribal communities and migrant worker”, said Sr. Abby Avelino director of Talitha Kum Asia.
According to her, the current socioeconomic situation has exacerbated the problem of human traficking in Asia. Many countries in Asia are facing severe economic crises as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, political conflicts like those in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
“Crisise such as these increase the vulnerability of people to trafficking,” says Talitha Kum, a report sent to Fides. It focuses on women, girls and young people, as well refugees and migrants. In a report by Talitha Kum, a nun sent to Fides, she states that the most common forms of domestic and global human trafficking are forced labour, forced marriage and sexual abuse.
“As the economic problems get more complicated, more vulnerable persons are trapped in exploitation to survive.” Cyber-based trafficking and Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) are two areas of entrapment. “Sr Avelino, a Maryknoll member, said that this is one area of entrapment.
Talitha Kum Asia continued its prevention campaign that was moved online at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to continue information sharing on anti-trafficking.
Monthly webinars on human traficking were hosted by Talitha Kum Networks in Asia. The goal was to strengthen prevention and protection, capacity building and networking, aswell as collaboration and advocacy.
Talitha Kum networks have been given more visibility due to the program’s impact. As a result of their increasing visibility, Talitha Kum Bangladesh was established and Talitha Kum Vietnam was established in 2021.
“We have organized activities using Sufficiency Economics Program, helping women in villages and mountainous regions to manage natural food resources such as herbs and vegetables found in local forests. “This program has had a satisfying effect on the local community in supporting capacity building,” Sr Avelino says.
“We launched the Talitha Kum Anti-Trafficking Youth Advocates program in 2021 to get more young people involved with the vision and mission Talitha Kum. She says that anti-trafficking youth ambassadors were trained for young people from ten Asian countries.
These trained youth leaders developed their skills in promoting Talitha Kum’s work at the grassroots in creative and innovative ways with the coordination of Sisters in the networks. As a result of this program, many young people’s awareness of the issues of trafficking grew as they participated in various levels of Talitha Kum’s anti-human trafficking campaigns.
Talitha Kum, a Rome-based international network made up of religious sisters dedicated towards fighting and eliminating human trafficking, is an international network. It was established by the International Union of Superiors General.
Talitha Kum Asia partners 65 Catholic organizations, 56 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and 42 international government agencies. Talitha Kum is home to 3521 members representing 205 religious women congregations in 20 countries.
Talitha Kum Asia cared for 3972 victims in 2021. It organized 3909 trainings. (SD) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2022)

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